It is no secret that the whitewashing of history is a common practice among politicians and ideologues. Whether it is to remove inconvenient truths or raise support for scheme, we are party to it much of the time, from all areas of the political spectrum.

There are two types of whitewashing: outright refutation and selective ignorance. Holocaust denial is a clear example of the former while the latter is more often seen in the justification of, say, the Iraq war.

A similar example I have noted of late is the prevailing right wing view of the history of capitalism. In response to the left's general dismay at how unequal and corrupt the world is, the right crow patronisingly about how we've never had it so good. Now, it would be ridiculous to say that this is untrue. Yes, we're healthier, wealthier, more equal, more comfortable, and longer living than ever before. Yes, our standard of life is on average higher than emperors of the past, except, of course, in terms of living space. But the point right wing ideologues refuse to acknowledge is exactly how these gains were distributed beyond only a tiny elite to create the relatively widespread prosperity they so love today.